Defect.

I slammed my locker open and quickly shoved in all my books. I was not in the mood today to actually do any work at home.

When I had walked into art class I was pleasantly surprised to see Nick sitting in the back of the class. Mr. Campbell also looked at me and said, “Welcome back! I would give you a hug, but I love my job. So take this sticker as a hug instead.” And he gave me a sticker of a teddy bear hugging a star with the words “Good Job!” written across the bottom.

I gave him a bright smile, “thank you, I really missed this class.” I placed the sticker on my sweater.

The rest of the class helped relax my nerves. While in econ, I felt like my very being was going to set on fire. And now, I felt cool and calm.

The class consisted of me working on my sculpture while Nick asked me what each and every one of the tools did. What effects they left, how to use them and such. I really relied on the regular old chisel because it gave me the most freedom to do what I want. You had to keep a steady hand or else you’d get a different result than what you were expecting.

Mr. Campbell asked him to stay behind so he could talk to him about what he was going to do for his final project, seeing as how he’s entered late. He has a lot of choices to pick from like sculpture, canvas, and ink sketches. He has little time to decide.

I put the last textbook in my bag into my locker before I closed it. I untwisted my lock and secured my locker. I was hoisting my bag up onto my shoulder and wasn’t expecting the slam into my back that sent me face first into the dirty metal.

Groaning I shot away from the metal. I gripped my nose, the pain excruciating. I looked up to see a guy in front of me

“You’re a freak.” A guy spat at me. I had never seen him before in my life I felt my nose running, but I knew it wasn’t mucus. The dark blood on my hand assured me it wasn’t.

“Your disrespect deserved expulsion from your pack!” the guy hissed stepping closer to me. My brain couldn’t register anything but the pain shooting up my nose to my forehead.

I took steps back, my back towards the open hallway, “I-I-I-I don’t”

Suddenly a hand shot out and gripped him by the jugular. The guy was picked up by his neck and shoved up against the same locker he smashed my face into.

Nick.

“WHO ARE YOU TO DISRESPECT MY LUNA!” He was growling in the guys face.

He slammed him against the locker,

Nicks voice dropped low, it sounded deadly as he said, “harm to the Luna is answered with death.”

The guys eyes went wide, he was gasping for breath and kicking his feet out but Nick wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. “Do I make myself clear.” Nick growled out, but he was holding the guy from the throat so he couldn’t even nod.

“Nick!” I shouted. But he didn’t ease up on the guy. His face was past red and started to turn practically blue.

“Do I make, myself clear?” Nick slowly growled out.

I took a deep breath and said, “Drop him. Right now.”

I saw his body stiffen before he relaxed his arm, allowing the guy to collapse onto the floor. The guy was hunched over on the floor, coughing for air.

“Get away from her before I deem you a removable threat.”

The guy jumped up from the floor and ran down the hall as quickly as he could. I stood there watching Nick in a new light.

“Are you alright?” he asked tensely.

“Yeah. Just a little nose bleed.”

He ran his hands through his hair, “I’m the worlds shittiest guard.”

I walked over to him, “no, no you’re not. You handled that very quickly.” I placed my hand on his back in a way to reassure him. He slowly relaxed but I had a feeling I didn’t change his opinion at all.

“C’mon lets go get you washed up. Brady is waiting for us at the entrance.” He held his hand out for me to grab. I did.

We walked over to the closest bathrooms. Nick waited diligently outside while I went inside to wash off the blood from my face and hands. I was washing my hands when one of the bathroom stalls opened. I made eye contact with the person through the mirror

Kelsey walked out from one of the stalls. Her eyes were red and her face pale. She had been crying again. Her tears were still rolling down her cheeks.

“Hey.” She said softly.

“Hi.” I said quietly, washing my hands.

“Here.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a packet of makeup wipes, “this won’t hurt your face.” She placed it on the bathroom counter before she took one out to fix her own makeup.

“Thanks.” I said taking one out. I rubbed the blood away, my skin was a bit red from the rubbing but it wasn’t anything too noticeable.

“What happened?”

I stepped away from the sink, and walked over to the trash and threw away the wipe. “You should ask your pack.” I muttered before I left her alone in the bathroom.

Outside of the bathrooms Nick followed me down the hallway. But he wasn’t holding my hand this time; he was behind me like he was stuck in his thoughts. We quickly found Brady waiting for us, alongside Robin.

She pumped her fist in the air, “practice was canceled today!”

“You guys take for-fucking-ever to come out.” Brady groaned.

I chuckled and stopped next to him, “I had to leave my books.” We all started walking towards the entrance doors.

“Go on, I’ll catch you up!” Nick said as he fell behind.

“You’ve got three minutes!” Brady yelled back at him, yet he sped up towards the exiting door.

“We’ll meet you in the car.” I said to him, but Nick had a grim look on his face.

I prayed he wasn’t going to go look for that guy again. He could be punished with death, but I will not be held responsible for anyone’s death. Directly or indirectly.

We waited ten minutes for Nick to come out, the sun was already setting. He came out running to the car. He got in and held up a class schedule. “ I was able to get in!”

Brady began pulling out of the schools parking lot.

“What class are you in now?” I asked.

He smiled at me, “Economics with Macross. And you.”

My jaw dropped, “that class is full!”

“That class is gross!” Robin complained from the front seat. She was one of the few seniors who managed to switch out of the class.

“I’m only a student teaching assistant. Don’t worry I’ll grade your paper with the highest marks.” He nudged me.

I felt like he was trying to make up for the incident that just happened.

The rest of the car ride was full of playful banter, but mostly of Brady complaining of all the work he has to do to catch up. I thought it was funny, he wanted to be back in school so bad and now he wants out after one day.

Brady dropped us off right in front of Robins home. I didn’t see a point in trying to hide her address anymore seeing as how anyone from the pack can find out whenever they wanted to.

They waited until me and Robins were inside to drive away. Mayra was in the kitchen, today was one of her easy days where she didn’t have to work and her classes ended early. She was prepping burgers.

I plopped down onto the couch realizing that I wasn’t as tired as I usually was. On any regular school day I would arrive beaten down. Too tired to physically do anything. Now, today I’m going to training in a few hours.

I mean minus the whole nosebleed thing, but it wasn’t broken and I’ve had worse other years.

It was already dark outside and the Mayra was barely finishing the burgers. It had taken her a while because Robin kept distracting her. Robin was joking about something that had happened in math class today when her Mom walked down the stairs. Her voice died down as we saw her walk into the living room and then the kitchen.

She was in a raggedy pink robe; it was thrown over some old baggy light green pajamas. Her hair was the definition of a bird’s nest, and the fragrance wafting from her wasn’t exactly pleasant. But she was out of her bed, out of her room, this was probably the furthest she’s gone in a long while.

“Mom you want some hamburgers?” Mayra asked her. Her mom only grunted before she began rummaging in the frigde.

Mayra asked her again, “I brought lettuce too. I know you like it with lettuce.”

Her mom slammed the fridge door shut, “yeah yeah sure.” She said before she began rummaging through the cupboards. I had no idea what she was looking for.

Suddenly she said, “What is this shit.”

“What?” Mayra asked, trying to look at what her mom was holding.

Her mom turned around and swung around an empty handle of vodka, “what is this shit!”

Mayra shrugged, “I dumped it out.”

She opened her hand and let the plastic handle bounce onto the kitchen tile. She then threw herself to the floor and began searching through the bottom cabinets, muttering, “this is bullshit, this is bullshit, this is bullshit” over and over again.

“You aren’t going to find anything so you might as well stop making a mess.” Mayra sighed and stood straighter. She was taking a stance against her, “There’s no alcohol left in this house anymore.”

It suddenly clicked in my head, the empty bottle Robin had found, the missing one Mayra couldn’t find. They weren’t Mayra’s, Robin hadn’t drank them. Her mom had. Her mom was returning to her addiction.

Ms. Rhodes stopped making noise, and our eyes targeted her. She was struggling to open a rubbing alcohol bottle. The child lock was preventing her from being successful. Robin jumped up and over the couch, running towards her, “MOM!” she shrieked.

“Mom! Mom! Stop! What are you doing!?” Mayra fell in front of Ms. Rhodes legs trying to wrestle the Rubbing Alcohol bottle away from her. Robin slid in behind Ms. Rhodes and tried to pull her hands away. The bottle went flying out of her hand and spinning on to the floor. I ran and snatched it up.

“GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK!” Robin was holding her arms behind her as Ms. Rhodes shrieked and thrashed around like a possessed person.

Robin looked at me, through thick strands of her hair; I saw her pleading, desperate, eyeliner smudged eyes. “Hide it! Hide it! Just run dammit!” she was shouting at me. But I couldn’t move my legs.

Its like someone locked them and didn’t bother to give me the key.

“Mom, please!” Mayra’s voice cracked, tears rushing down her cheeks, “Mom, please, calm down! Look at me. I’m your daughter, its me Mom, its me Mayra a-and Robin.”

Mayra was holding down her legs. They were prevailing and she was calming down until Ms. Rhodes suddenly jerked her knee, slamming into Mayra’s nose in the process. Mayra fell backwards clutching her nose, which was now spewing blood. With Ms. Rhodes legs now free, Robin was losing her hold on her. Ms. Rhodes swung hard but Robins grip was harder to escape.

Ms. Rhodes jolted her elbow backwards, jabbing Robin right in the side of her throat. Shocked, and gasping for air, Robin let go of her arms. With both daughters stunned, Ms. Rhodes scrambled to stand up.

She was coming for me.

Run, you idiot.

It was then that my legs became unlocked and I bolted for the back door. I slammed the door closed, hoping to buy myself some time. I ran out onto the dried grass, by the old apple tree, panicking, there was nowhere to hide a bottle!

I heard Ms. Rhodes shoving the door open as I climbed up the apple tree and crouched behind a big branch, “bring it here, you bitch!” the door slammed behind her. The door didn’t slow her down one bit. Though, I prayed the darkness would.

“WHERE ARE YOU?” the darkness was helping me and I could only hope that it covered me long enough to get out of this.

My heart was beating so loud, I was afraid it would give my location away.

“Mom!” I heard Robins hoarse voice shout, and then a louder “MOM!” came further away from Mayra.

Ms. Rhodes turned around and through the small blossoming flowers the apple tree had I saw her reaching for the lock. If I wanted to get rid of the bottle this would be my chance.

My feet had come in contact with the ground when I heard the click of the lock. The sudden pounding on the back door scared me into dropping the bottle, but I quickly picked it up again and sprinted towards the wooden fence that separated Mrs. Flores backyard and the Rhodes.

I could hear Robin and Mayra pounding on the back door just as clearly as I could hear my footsteps slamming onto the crunchy grass. I couldn’t hear Ms. Rhodes and I didn’t care.

I swung my arm back and let it catapult forward, throwing the bottle far into Mrs. Flores’ backyard.

The bottle had left my fingertips for a mere second before my head was yanked back onto the floor by my hair. “You bitch, you bitch, you bitch,” I heard Ms. Rhodes sputtering as she tried clawing at my face. It stung.. I held up my arms to shield my face. “Give it back! GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK!”

I swiveled my legs so Ms. Rhodes was turned onto her back. Then I maneuvered my arms, so I had her neck and arms trapped in a position where she could no longer claw anyone. I had her in a triangle hold.

In the distance I could hear the fire alarm beeping, the burgers were burning, and I could hear the police sirens speeding towards us as well.